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Mikhi Maddox Odum
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Jonathan M. Ortiz
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Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrest of 20-year-old MIKHI MADDOX ODUM of Garfield, NJ; and criminal charges filed against 20-year-old JONATHAN M. ORTIZ of Garfield, NJ, in relation to a shooting that occurred in Garfield on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. These charges are the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Chief Matthew Finck, and the Garfield Police Department, under the direction of Chief Joseph Delaney.
On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, at approximately 9:07 a.m., the Garfield Police Department responded to the intersection of Palisade Avenue and Somerset Street following reports of gunfire. Responding officers arrived on scene and discovered evidence of a shooting; however, no victim was located. Detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit were notified, responded to the scene, and launched a joint investigation with the Garfield Police Department. The Bergen County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the scene to assist.
During the course of the investigation, detectives determined that seven gunshots were fired in the street between two men who fled the scene immediately after their altercation. Detectives identified MIKHI MADDOX ODUM and JONATHAN M. ORTIZ as the men who discharged firearms during the incident.
As a result of the investigation, on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, JONATHAN M. ORTIZ was charged with second-degree aggravated assault by attempting to cause serious bodily injury by discharging a firearm, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(1); second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1); second-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4a(1); and fourth-degree aggravated assault by pointing a firearm, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(4).
Within hours of the shooting incident, and with the assistance of the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Garfield Police Department executed a court-authorized search warrant at JONATHAN M. ORTIZ’s residence in Garfield, NJ. During the search, detectives recovered the handgun used in the shooting. To date, attempts by detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office and Garfield Police Department to locate and arrest ORTIZ have been unsuccessful; he remains a fugitive from justice.
The following day, on Wednesday, September 3, 2025, with assistance from the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crimes Unit and the Garfield Police Department executed a court-authorized search warrant at the residence of MIKHI MADDOX ODUM in Garfield, NJ. ODUM was located and arrested without incident. Detectives recovered the handgun used during the shooting inside ODUM’s home where children were present.
As a result of the investigation, MIKHI MADDOX ODUM was taken into custody and charged with second-degree aggravated assault by attempting to cause serious bodily injury by discharging a firearm, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(1); second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1); second-degree possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose, N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4a(1); two counts of second-degree endangering the welfare of a child, N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4A(2); and fourth-degree aggravated assault by pointing a firearm, N.J.S.A. 2C:12-1b(4). ODUM was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending his first appearance in the Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack, NJ.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of JONATHAN M. ORTIZ is asked to contact the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Tip Line at 201-226-5532.
Prosecutor Mark Musella states that all the charges in this case are merely accusations, and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Prosecutor Musella would like to thank the Garfield Police Department and the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office for their assistance with this investigation. In addition, Prosecutor Musella thanks the Bergen County Regional SWAT Team and the Port Authority Police Department for their efforts to assist in the apprehension of the defendants.
